The Morning After
by HP Slash Luv
Summary: Two-shot. The morning after it happens to Benjy.
1. The Morning After

**Title:** The Morning After  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Pairing(s)/Character(s):** Benjy Fenwick  
 **Warnings:** None  
 **Disclaimer:** Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.  
 **Word Count:** 626  
 **Summary:** The morning after _it_ happens to Benjy.  
 **Notes:**

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: **Defense Against The Dark Arts Class – Write about a character who has been contaminated with either Lycanthropy or Vampirism. The Catch? The character you use must not be a werewolf of vampire in canon

 **Minor Character Bingo Card Challenge:** Character Used – Benjy Fenwick

 **All About You Challenge:** Prompt Used – Write a fic set in the Forbidden Forest

 **Hogwarts Writing Club Competition:** Prompt Used – Tragedy

 **356 Days of Drabbles Challenge:** Prompt Used – Picturesque

* * *

There was nothing picturesque at all about the Forbidden Forest. It definitely didn't resemble the forests always seen in fairy tales.

As Benjy woke up, that thought was driven even more into his head. The trees didn't look magical and enchanting, as if they would break out in song any minute. They looked threatening and horrific, like they were reaching towards him and they'd never let him go if they caught him.

He closed his eyes and did his best to put the terrifying trees out of his mind. As he wiggled his fingers and shook his feet, a startling realization was driven home. Every bone in his body ached, even the ones in his feet.

Tears threatened to fall as he recalled the previous night. It was jumbled in his head, but he remembered teeth, claws, fur, and excruciating pain.

Pain spasmed throughout his body, and Benjy did his best to withstand it. He turned his head, wincing as his head protested the movement, and saw the dried blood all over his left arm. He slowly moved his arms and lifted up his shirt. He raised his head a bit off of the ground so he could take in the damage to his torso and all of the marks on it were hideous, making him wish he never looked. It was a tragedy that his once flawless skin was forever marred by these ugly blemishes.

Benjy knew he needed to get help but from who? He could go to Dumbledore, but who knew what the aged wizard might do to him.

Although his thoughts weren't in any real order, Benjy knew enough to realize that he was bitten by a werewolf. That meant he would turn into a werewolf. He didn't know why his life was spared, but right now, he wished the werewolf had killed him. It might have been more merciful.

He looked around the forest and prayed that the werewolf had stayed away from Hogwarts. He slowly sat up, cringing when every movement jarred his muscles, and then attempted to stand up on shaking legs, but his limbs gave out, unable to support his weight right then.

Maybe someone would come looking for him? But then, what would happen? Obviously, he had to tell the truth. If he was a werewolf, he was a danger to everyone around him. What was a werewolf doing so close to the school grounds anyways? Benjy knew there were many dangerous creatures in the Forbidden Forest, but he never even considered the idea that one of those creatures might be werewolves because they were humans most of the time. Unless...

Unless the werewolf went to Hogwarts.

Benjy swallowed. Was that it? Did a werewolf secretly go to Hogwarts?

He laid back down, deciding right then that he wasn't ready to move, wasn't ready to face whatever would be waiting for him at Hogwarts. He wanted to live in denial just a little bit longer.

Unfortunately, that denial wasn't meant to be. A crunch of leaves sounded to the left of him, and Benjy warily turned his head to face the sound.

Dumbledore broke through the trees. "Oh, my dear boy. What were you doing near the Forbidden Forest last night?"

"Visiting my secret Slytherin girlfriend."

"I'm so, so sorry." He knelt down and took Benjy's hand.

"Will I be okay?"

"Of course, my boy. I'll make sure of it."

"The one who did this to me. Does he go to Hogwarts?"

Dumbledore nodded. "He's usually locked up. I wonder what went wrong. Come on, we need to get you back to the castle." He stood up and levitated Benjy, understanding without asking that it hurt to move.

Benjy closed his eyes, wishing last night never happened.


	2. The Morning After 2

**Title:** The Morning After 2  
 **Rating:** T  
 **Pairing(s)/Character(s):** Benjy Fenwick, Remus Lupin  
 **Warnings:** None  
 **Disclaimer:** Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.  
 **Word Count:** 558  
 **Summary:** Benjy faces the one who bit him.  
 **Notes:**

 **Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: **Defense Against The Dark Arts Class – Bonus Assignment - Write about the character in your previous story coming in contact with the werewolf or vampire that infected them.

 **356 Days of Drabbles Challenge:** Prompt Used – Catch

* * *

Benjy waited in Dumbledore's office. He asked to meet the werewolf that had infected him. Dumbledore hadn't wanted to give in, citing how badly the boy felt for the tragic accident, but Benjy felt like he had the right to know who infected him and wouldn't relent.

Dumbledore had very reluctantly agreed after Benjy promised he wouldn't tell the rest of the school about who the werewolf was. Benjy knew he needed to keep his own secret if he wanted to stay at Hogwarts so agreed easily enough.

He tapped his foot, impatiently waiting for the other boy to show. As of right now, Benjy actually didn't know who the werewolf was. He thought maybe it was a Slytherin, but he couldn't think of any Slytherins who acted suspiciously around the full moon.

He took a deep breath and blew his bangs out of his eyes just as the door creaked open. Shuffling feet sounded behind him and Benjy whirled around, ready to face the monster that turned him into a monster.

He heard his breath catch when his eyes met the fearful eyes of Remus Lupin, one of the quietest Gryffindors in the whole school, despite the friendship he formed with his troublemaking roommates.

"You..."

"I'm so sorry. I'm not sure what happened. I'm usually locked in the Shrieking Shack. I don't know how I got out. I've asked Dumbledore to let me leave Hogwarts so I never hurt anyone else again."

Benjy had wanted to scream at his attacker. He wanted to rant and threaten, do everything he could to make his attacker feel bad.

His attacker already felt bad, though, and Benjy knew there was no way to make Remus feel any worse than he already did. And suddenly, he found himself sympathizing with Remus. "You shouldn't leave."

His gaze had been intent on the floor, but at Benjy's matter-of-fact statement, Remus looked up and met Benjy's serious eyes. "How can you say that? I hurt you, made you like me. I should leave so I don't do it to anyone else. If I'm not going to be a resident at Azkaban, that is."

"You aren't going to Azkaban because I'm not going to turn you in. I'm not saying I'm not angry, but what happened _was_ an accident. You shouldn't lose out on your education, especially because you're one of the smartest third years at Hogwarts. I'll deal with this, but I'm staying at Hogwarts with Professor Dumbledore's help. There's no reason why you shouldn't. I'm sure Dumbledore will make sure that this accident never happens again."

"I'm so, so sorry."

"I know." That was all Benjy could give Remus. He might have felt understanding, but he wasn't ready to forgive Remus for what happened.

"I'll help you anyway I can," Remus promised.

"I know."

Benjy didn't know what was going to happen, but he did know he was a werewolf and would have to deal with that. He wasn't willing to lose his education, but after he graduated, he knew his education wouldn't mean much when faced with the wizarding world's prejudice.

Benjy would face it head on and maybe Remus would be at his side through it all.

The two of them were forever connected, whatever that meant. And Benjy wasn't a Gryffindor for no reason. His bravery would see him through.


End file.
